Big picture: Technology shift, page-2

Yes this is true..  The Photonics age is upon us!  Although we are at an infant stage where as true photonic switching and pure photonic circuits are a while away, we are at the transitional point as the last century where electrical/mechanical moved into electronic.
Example:


20-30 years later....   

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_switch

http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/photonic switch

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Optically switched circuits via IC's currently are the start of a Photonics age just like the first transistor,
the future will bring a "pure" photonics age, as what I mean by this is...
NO electronics, IC's, mechanical, silicon type circuits at all....
It's currently being worked on,   Pure light (photonic) switching transistors and circuits. ie...  different wavelengths and spectrums of light, allow passing of data bursts through the photonic gate of an optical/photonic switch.


More research into photonics......

http://lightwave.ee.columbia.edu/?s=research&p=past_projects


There was a Uni in Australia from memory who have been working over last 5-7 years on a  "PURE" photonic switch...  I just can't find the link as it's been years..  This will be the ultimate in the future...
If all electronics are eliminated and photonics are 100% utilised we head into the Star Wars and Star Trek worlds...
Imagine a display screen that is nothing but a piece of glass...   ie  The Matrix  movies...   Minority Report..
But also computers, tablets, phones  everything working and transfering data via photons not electrons...